Operation: Anchorage Is Just Like Tom Cruise
Short.
When I Tweeted (or Twittered, whatever the technical term is) that I was playing the new Fallout 3 downloadable content, Operation: Anchorage, quite a few people @ replied me asking if it was any good. If you were one of those people who asked and are pissed I never replied, well that was simply because I had just started playing, and was wishing to reserve my opinion until I had actually finished it. Which I now have. And it really didn’t take long. The gist of it is, yes, it’s good - heck, it’s Fallout 3 - but I’m not so sure it’s worth what it’s being charged at.
Operation: Anchorage is the first DLC pack released by Bethesda, setting you back 800 Microsoft points, which, if you’re in the UK, equates to £6.80. However, according to Jeff Gardiner, Lead Producer of Fallout 3, you get around 5 hours worth of gameplay “depending on play style” for your 800 Microsoft Points (took me under 3, though). The setting in which Operation: Anchorage, which is split into 4 side quests, takes place in is actually a real breath of fresh air. Quite literally, might I add, as the majority of the quest plays out in a virtual reality Alaska covered in thick, fluffy, white snow. Quite a contrast to the dark and grungy environments from the rest of the game, don’t you think?
One of the criticisms Fallout 3 has continually taken on the chin, and will rectify in the future with impending DLC ‘Broken Steel‘, is the inability to continue exploring Washington D.C. once you’ve completed the main quest. And since I had finished the main quest I was left with two options; I could load up an old save and hope that would work, or start an entirely new game as a different character. I opted for the latter seeing as I could also pick up an additional Achievement for reaching level 8 with bad Karma (remember, I like my G’s), but I’ve read the former method works, too.
Because Operation: Anchorage takes place in a simulated world, it means a few abilities available to your character throughout the rest of the game are no longer possible. For example, you can no longer loot boxes, desks, wardrobes, safes etc for items, and you’re unable to search the bodies of those you’ve killed for weapons and ammo. It’s also impossible to kill your allies (I attempted murdering one or two for bad karma bumpage - it didn’t work). I guess in a sense this makes your objective quite linear, as you won’t find any of your time distracted by hunting through buildings for stimpaks and ammo top-ups. I did notice, however, that scattered throughout Alaska were briefcases you could collect, which, in total, amounted to 10. I came across 8 while playing and wasn’t awarded anything, but a quick Google tells me that collecting all 10 gives you an additional perk.
The lack of these abilities dampened Operation: Anchorage for me, but I think that was largely due to being away from Fallout 3 for so long. When I returned to the game I was itching to get back into everything I had become familiar with on my previous run-through, which of course included scavenging. If you were to play the DLC while going through the game as normal, though, I’m sure the above wouldn’t matter as much, if at all.
Anyway, onto the story. The quest sees you fighting alongside your allies, the Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts, in an attempt to secure advanced military tools. Remember, all this takes place in one of those sim-pods you encounter while progressing through the main quest, but sim death does equal real death, so at no point should you be blindly running into enemy fire. Once the quest has been completed and you’re in possession of the advanced military tools, you’ll be given the option to loot the Brotherhood of Steel Outcasts storeroom for equipment and advanced armour. You can then use the armour and weapons for progressing through the rest of the game.
I rarely buy into DLC, usually because, by the time it comes out, I’ve long moved onto something else. The last DLC I purchased was for Crackdown, and I remember paying 800 Microsoft Points for it and definitely getting my money’s worth. By all accounts Operation: Anchorage is fun to play - it looks gorgeous, you have the opportunity to play around with a new weapon, encounter new enemies, and explore a different environment, but it just didn’t live up to the rest of the game for me. If it was 400 Microsoft Points, or really had lasted me 5 hours, I’d be a lot happier. Having said that, it was an easy 100 Achievement points and an extra few hours for those who can’t get enough of Fallout 3.
On another note, over the next few months another 2 DLC packs will be available for Fallout 3 over Xbox Live. Do you know what this means? With 100 additional Achievements per pack, it will bring the cap for Fallout 3 Achievements to 1300!
It took me ages to get around to playing the original Mass Effect, but as soon as I did it was a case of “Why didn’t I do this sooner?!”. I’ve been looking forward to the sequel ever since, and it’s not disappointing. What can I say? It’s good to have Shepard back in my life.
Skar